General [Japan]Looking for Advice. Getting My Guinea pigs in one month.

[twebb92]

Ok first things first let's get this out of the way. I am buying my guinea pigs. I love in Japan and they're not too big on adopting especially where I live. I have looked into it and the only place I could find wouldn't even tell me if they had guinea pigs up for adoption.

That being said. I am getting two females next month. I have their cage set up but I have questions.

1) Japan is a very seasonal country so I won't be able to get fleece until September. Will it be ok to start them with aspen and then switch to fleece?

2) My apartment is small with two large windows. Their cage is next to on of them. I have no where else to put it so do you have tips on having the cage by the window?

3) I was looking at vegetables that are ok for them and I was wondering about Japanese vegetables like taro and gobo (both are root vegetables).

4)It's pretty hot here in the Summers and freezing in the winters. I've looked up some tips like frozen water bottles wrapped in towels and more hay in the winters but do you have any other tips?

5) I don't drive and I will be taking the train with them for vet visits and when I first get them. Do you have any tips on traveling by train?

6) Speaking of vets. When should I take them to be checked?

I know this is pretty long but these are my biggest questions right now. I had a guinea pig years before but I was very ignorant about his care, I want to do right by my two new family members so any other tips you can offer would be immensely helpful. Thank you!

 

[Shiramoto]

Hey there! I'm not sure if you have already gotten the advices you needed and I hope it's not too late to reply. Like you, I am still a newbie when it comes to guinea pigs but I have since done a lot of research after planning to adopt.

Here's my 2 cents after gathering information from various sources.

1) Just wondering if you have tried looking at online marketplaces (ie. Amazon, Rakuten, Ebay) for polyester fleece blankets? I think that regardless of the season it should still be possible to find one. Now answering your question, aspen wood shavings are safe to use so it's okay to start with them. And I am sure you already know but for the sake of emphasis, please do not use cedar or pine wood shavings as many people speculate that they are toxic to small animals. On the side note, you can also try using Carefresh as bedding.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/73451-Fleece-or-Carefresh

2) It is not wise to place your guinea pigs by the windows if your room gets exposure to sunlight all day. I've heard that the apartments facing south in Japan usually gets a lot of sunlight all day long and it becomes super warm during summer. As guinea pigs are covered with fur, they feel the heat more than we do. In addition, it is not advised to keep them in an area that is dark and gloomy. What I can suggest you to do is to actually put up curtains so as to reduce the intensity of the sunlight hitting your pets. Otherwise you can also put shades over the cage. If your room gets unbearably warm, you can choose to buy a cooling pad for them to lie on.

https://www.guineapigcages.com/location.htm

3) I checked and found out that taro is not good for guinea pigs but gobo (burdock) is fine. Instead of taro you can try sweet potato but feed in moderation.
This link contains an extensive list of safe and unsafe food/fruits for guinea pigs:

https://abyssinianguineapigtips.com/ultimate-guinea-pig-food-list/

4) I believe most people who live in seasonal countries tend to install floor heater or other form of heaters which they utilize during winter. If so, please definitely keep the cage off the ground. I have tried sitting on floors that's heated during winter and sometimes I find it unbearable. Other ways you can try to keep the guinea pigs warm in winter is to put fleece cushion or beds that's made of fleece (ie. dog/cat's beds) in their cage so they have some ways to retain their body warmth. As for keeping water bottles warm in winter, there are people who use thick socks as water bottle covers. It's worth a try!

5) I really can't comment anything about this because my countrymen frowns upon the idea of travelling with pets via train and other public transports. In recent years there is a rise in pet taxi services but it's crazy expensive ($30/trip & $50 for a round trip) So that's another method I can get around. I'm not very sure how strict Japan is when it comes to travelling with pets on public transport. Maybe you can tell me! I would love to hear more

6) Some people may not agree but I think it is a necessity and the responsibility of the owners to bring the guinea pigs for a consultation service once they're bought/adopted. This is to ensure that they are at no health risk and if they are down with ailments, you will know exactly what it is and what food to avoid to aggravate the condition. From then on, you should observe and record each guinea pig's weight. If there is a drastic loss in their weight (even if they are eating), it could be pointing at a possible illness and this is a sign to bring them to the vet.

Here's a list of symptoms that can be observed in a guinea pig if they're sick:

https://www.petfinder.com/pet-care/small-and-furry-care/guinea-pig-basics-illness-warnings/

I hope the above information has helped to clarify your question! In the process of replying, I have also learned a lot So thank you for the post!

 

[bpatters]

1) Japan is a very seasonal country so I won't be able to get fleece until September. Will it be ok to start them with aspen and then switch to fleece?

That's fine.

2) My apartment is small with two large windows. Their cage is next to on of them. I have no where else to put it so do you have tips on having the cage by the window?

No direct sun, no cold wind blowing on them.

3) I was looking at vegetables that are ok for them and I was wondering about Japanese vegetables like taro and gobo (both are root vegetables).

Guinea pigs are herbivores. They need green stuff that grows above the ground. Potatoes are a no-no. I don't know anything about taro/gobo.


6) Speaking of (broken link removed). When should I take them to be checked?

I'd take them pretty quickly. I don't know anything about pet shops in Japan, but here, they'd likely be sick and/or have parasites. It won't hurt to get them checked out.